Wire-stretcher



A. HESJEDAL.

WIRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.13. ma.

l ,320, 85 6 Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

Invemivr WAL dormey lneases UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

ANDREW HESJEDAL, OF FERTILE, MINNESOTA.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

Application filed November 13, 1918. Serial No. 262,411.

following explanation of the accompanying drawings, illustrating what I now believe to be the preferred embodiment, or mechanical expression, of my invention from among other forms and arrangements within the spirit thereof, and the scope of the appended claims. 1

However, anfobject of the invention is to provide a wire stretcher of new and novel form, whereby a strand of wire may be pulled to take up the slack between posts, and subsequently toplace saidstrand under tension before stapling the wire to the post.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire stretcher of the character set forth which is readily portable, and which may be quickly associated with a fence post or the like whena wire is to be stretched.

In addition to the foregoing, my invention lcomprehends improvements in the details of constructionand arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar and corresponding parts are designated by the same characters of reference throughout the several views in which they appear: y p

Figure 1, is a. View in side elevation of a wire stretcher constructed after the fashion of my invention, and

Fig. 2, is a view thereof in plan.V

With reference to the drawings, 1 indicates a frame comprising horizontal frame bars spaced transversely and connected at their terminals, one of said transverse connecting members 2 being concaved for a purpose to be presently noted. The longitudinal frame bars 1 are provided at theirintermediate portions with enlargements 3, apertured transversely to receive a shaft 4 forming a support for the wire stretcher.

mechanism to be presently described. Extending upwardly from the said enlarged portion 3 there are provided integrally formed frame extensions 5, in the form of vertical frame bars directed toward each other at their upper terminals and connected by means of a latch 6, which is pivoted to one of the terminals and has detachable connection with the opposite terminal. Within the frame members 1 and 5, there 1s provided a wheel 7 mounted upon the shaft 4 and xed thereto for rotation. Said wheel 7 is formed with a peripheral groove 8, and the shaft 4 is further provided with a ratchet wheel 9, adapted for rotation with said shaft V The ratchet wheel 9 is located within the frame and a pawl4 10, pivoted to one of the longitudinal frame members at 11 is urged by gravity into a position to engage the periphery of the ratchet wheel. The. shaft 4 is extended beyond the frame at the side of the ratchet wheel to receive a crank arm which is secured to the shaft.

Disposed around the wheel in uniformly circumferentially spaced relation, are automatically operable wire engaging clamp de vices indicated generally at 13. The devices are identical in construction and a description of one will suffice for all. Said devices are comprised of clamping elements or members 14. Crossed at points adjacent their outer terminals and pivoted at said point of intersection between ears 15 located at the central portion and bottom of the peripheral groove 8 of the wheel 7, an' opening is provided in the wheel between each of the ears 13, said opening extending approximately radially to receive the opposite 'ends of the members 14, which are curved and extended laterally without the face of the wheel 8 at either side, in a direction at substantially right-angles to said face, as indicated at 16. The outer terminals of each of the members 14 extended beyond the side faces of the wheel, are provided with heads 17 having arcuate outer faces. The arcuate heads 17 are each arranged at the same radial distance from the center of the wheel, and during rotation of said wheel are engaged by an arcuate cam plate 18, one of which is provided at either side of the wheel and secured to the upright member 5 and to the longitudinal members 1 by means of a vertical strap 19. In operation, the device is placed vwith the concave portion 2 at one end of the frame against the fence post or the like and the wire to be stretched is brought into proper relation with the mechanism by disengaging the latch 6 so as to open the upper portion of the frame 5 and permit the insertion through said opening of the wire. yThe wire is then engaged in the uppermost one of the clamping member =by inserting the wire between the clamping jaws 14. The handleilQ is then rotated, and as the arcuate heads of the clamping member inpwhich the wire has been inserted and brought into .engagement with the cam plate 18 said arcudevice upon the wire, and the pulling strain IVupon the wire is continued. This operation yis.. repeated automatically bymerely turning the crank handle 12, until all the slack of the wire has been taken up. Additional turnmgl of the handle will produce the requisite tension upon the wire and said wire is then .stapled or otherwise secured to the fence post.

The device may be readily #held against the fence post, as the strain of the :wire is, extended v longitudinally through the A mainiframe,thereby holding the `frame even tighter against the `fence post. After the stretching Voperation vhas been completed,

,the wire .stretcher may be readily disenlgaged `fromfthe post and carried about by :means of the handle portion or frame por `tion 5. The engagement of the pawl 10l -withtl1e ratchet wheel 9,.precludes any backward movement of the wheel, and retains the wireundertension until it has been se- `cured tothe post.

While -I haveillustrated and describedmy ,invention with some degree of particularlity,

I realize that in practice various alterations thereover may be made, and I therefore .reserve the right and privilege of changing the :form of :the details of construction or `otherwise altering the arrangement of Vthe 4co-,relatedparts without departing from the spiritof the invention or-the scope ofthe appended claims.

I-Iaving thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is: Y

1. A wire stretcher including a frame comprising horizontal side bars spaced transversely, a wheel rotatably mounted between said side bars, means thereon for engagement with a strand of wire, said side bars intermediate their ends each being provided with vertical bars directed toward each other at their upper terminals, and a latch connecting said terminals whereby a wire may be passed between the upper terminals when the latch is open or whereby the device may be carried by the vertical bars when the latch is closed.

2. A wire stretcher including a frame, a wheel mounted for rotation therein and having its periphery provided with a plurality of circumferentially arranged radial openings, a pair of oppositely disposed ears.

around each opening, ,a plurality of wire engaging devices mounted upon the periphery of the wheel, each device comprising a pair of crossed members pivoted together and to said ears to form movable jaws passing through said openings in the wheel and having arcuate handle portions arranged within the wheel to extend in opposite direc-` tions through the wheel a substantial distance beyond the outer faces thereof, heads secured to the extended portion of the handle portions Vand having arcuate faces, and cam plates stationarily mounted upon the frame in the path of movement ofthe heads, whereby whensaid wheel is rotated said arcuate faces of said heads are engaged by the cam plates and the relatively movable jaws of each device separately brought together into engagement with the wire to stretch the same during peripheral ,movement of saiddevices,isaid devices becoming automatically disengaged from the wire when the heads of thehandleportions disengage the cam plates.

In testimony whereof I afiix Vmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW I-IESJEDAL. Witnesses:

J. B. AUSTINsoN, JOHN O. RoRvrG.

k,Ccpiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of lateuts, Washington, D. C, 

